New series of paintings
It has been a while since I last produced a series of works simultaneously as opposed to consecutively. That is, I have worked on them all at once, bringing each painting to completion at the same time. There is therefore something that binds these works together, they are all the product of the same period in time, the same process and have similar themes.
The bright light of summer helped me to bring these images into the world, as I have spent even the hottest of days bent over my easel in a fit of passion. And now with the autumn, exhausted, my harvest is almost ready. In my work I see a warm glow and a luminosity that I have not seen before. Perhaps the summer is still shining through.
As I mature as an artist, I am finding that I can rely on my imagination more and therefore less on photographic reference or studies. This truly frees me up to paint what ever comes into my head. The majority of my new work has been made this way. Which is sometimes much harder, more struggle and more time consuming. But I feel it allows the light of imagination to add its poetry and more magic to shine through.
The themes of these works reflect this inward gaze too. With titles such as “The Sixth Sense”, “The Vision” and “Bewitching the Sphinx”, I have focused more on the inner worlds this time; the visionary trance, second sight and mystical revelation. My fascination for history and mythology is still present here too, as much of these works owe their imagery and symbolism to both.
Jake
October 2024
Trumpets and Bells
Trumpets and Bells – oil on canvas – 60 x 80 cm – 2024
The festivals and annual celebrations that take place all over the world ever year, are more often than not the ritual enactment of myths and religions that date back thousands of years. Often the exact meaning has been lost, but it is still enacted anyway. This painting reflects this tradition, only the myth behind it does not exist as such, unless you invent one for it. The result is the same, visually at least; an inexplicable and marvelously irrational display of human mythic imagination.
It is themes like this that drive the particular poetic madness that I found so inspiring in a book called “Titus Groan” by Mervyn Peek, where I fell in love with a fictional character. Here she is performing an ancient and obscure ritual welcoming the morning with bells and trumpets.
Bewitching the Sphinx
Bewitching the Sphinx – oil on canvas – 80 x 60 cm – 2024
Traditionally the sphinx is the guardian of knowledge which must be kept secret. This is sometimes represented by the ball at his feet. In this painting the female protagonist is tricking the sphinx to reveal its secrets, making this painting about deception, trust and the revealing of our inner most selves. It can also be seen as the two parts of of ourselves: the conscious and the unconscious, and how we keep secrets from ourselves.
Queen of Diamonds
Queen of Diamonds – oil on canvas – 80 x 60 cm – 2024
This is a composition inspired by the portraits of the Dutch golden age where the wealthy and influential aristocracy were presented in their finery. Elements from this genre have been incorporated into my own imaginary world, where the protagonist confronts the gaze of the viewer as if we are interrupting a private moment alone. But the paying cards suggest that she is sharing this intimate moment with the viewer and revealing her cards in trust.
River of Lethe
The River of Lethe – oil on canvas – 80 x 60 cm – 2024
This painting depicts one of the two the sacred rivers that ran through the underworld, according to Ancient Greek myth. To drink from the Lethe would make you forget about the life you just led and you would reincarnate into the world, oblivious of ones of past life. If you drank from the other river, the Mnemosyne, you would remember the life you had led and you progressed into Paradise.
The theme then is the forgetting of ones true self as we become lost in the world of form, and the process of remembering, of waking up, as the soul learns of its true nature.
Vertigo
Vertigo – oil on canvas – 80 x 60 cm – 2024
Leaping into a void, abandoned and carefree, shedding her attachments to thought, time and form, she is lost in the moment. Leaving behind a trail of notes, numbers and dates, she wants to dance on the air unshackled by baggage of the past and be guided into the future by white wings that promise freedom.
The Vision
The Vision – oil on canvas – 80 x 60 cm – 2024
Ontological truth is important to me. Questions about the fundamental nature of reality for me are more than just philosophical musings, but inform the way I act and live in the world. Myth is a great resource for me because it is packed with man’s search for and explanation of meaning and tries to answer the question “what is reality?”
This painting is an exploration of these questions. An interest in the unconscious mind and its exploration, has led me to a new appreciation for consciousness itself. Just as an interest in the symbolism of dreams has led to an appreciation of its opposite; the state of being wide awake. In many traditions there is declared to be a third state – the Super Consciousness, a hyper awake state. Objective reality when understood in this way seems then to become more subjective; we inhabit the world that we can perceive.
What we see here in this painting, is both the objective outside world as well as the subjective vision of the priestess, combined into one image. The inner and the outer worlds are blurred together – both part of the same reality. She is looking at a reflection to gain prophecy or insight, in the ancient tradition of oracular vision. We are invited to share her insight – a union of Heaven and Earth, Spirit with Matter, Birth with Death.
The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense – oil on canvas – 60 x 80 cm – 2024
Intuition sometimes appears to come from nowhere, as if knowing has other paths than the five senses. She sees clearer with the eyes closed and discerns what the mind can not.
Astronomy for Angels
Astronomy for Angels – oil on canvas – 80 x 60 cm – 2024
Based upon an older work called “Experiments for angels” this painting explores similar themes that intersect both the spiritual and the rational view of the world.
It is inspired by passages from the book of Enoch, where he describes the angels and their knowledge of astronomy, science and war. This unexpected interpretation of what we normally perceive as otherworldly ephemeral or spiritual beings, tells us that they were seen quite differently at the time of the patriarch Enoch.
This painting reflects my interest in mythology, science and religion bringing them all together into an interwoven whole.
P.S. If you are interested in seeing the process of these paintings, the different stages where I add layers of paint, head over to Buy Me A Coffee page.
And if you decide to make a (small) donation there to show your support, I would very much appreciate that. If you are interested in purchasing any of my original paintings, please contact me / my agent via the form on the contact page. Thank you!
